they pay more effective tax than governor romney pays on his federal income tax. >> reporter: ryan got personal. >> joe and i are from similar towns. he's from pennsylvania, i'm from wisconsin. you know what the unemployment rate in scranton is today? >> i sure do. >> it's 10%. >> yeah. >> you know what it was the day you guys came in? 8.5%. that's how it's going all around america. >> reporter: for a vice presidential debate, the stakes were high tonight. after mitt romney's big win in denver and president obama's no-show performance there, biden needed to stop the bleeding. ryan was going for the jugular, seeking to build the momentum republicans are feeling. >> the next time you hear them say, don't worry about it, we'll get a few wealthy people to pay their fair share, watch out, middle class. the tax bill is coming to you. >> reporter: there was a stark generation gap on that stage tonight. joe biden, born in 1942, is older than the baby boomers. paul ryan, born in 1970, is younger than the baby boomers. and ryan looks it. today, "time" magazine published photos taken last year an